As I learn more about VBA programming, I can't help but think that at some point in the near future life will be completely automated. So much so that humanity may be at the cusp of either reaching a new frontier or crossing the line in morality.
As a child, I have fond memories of imagining a technologically advanced future. I remember looking at cell phones and thinking how awesome it would be if a watch could have the same functionalities while maintaining the alluring appeal of a timepiece. History has shown time and time again that society's wildest imaginations often come to fruition. As beautiful and promising as that may sound, not all of tomorrow's innovations will bring forth a brighter future.
My fear is that our personalities and culture will slowly diminish as technology continues to get smarter and smarter. Just look at how less social we've become in many instances; you can just sense the deterrence in people's desire to spark up a conversation with strangers because we're all connected to our iPods and are simultaneously texting someone else.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzV6mXIOVl4
Before watching "Her" I naively believed that I was the only one who'd envisioned a future where digital significant-others could be purchased. What's most bewildering with this idea is that it's already happening in Japan and most probably other parts of the world as well.
And if for one second you doubt the idea of a digital friend full of love, hate, and the entire spectrum of human emotion, then listen to this (Henry Markram on his endeavor to create a digital brain)
If you don't think you're affected by life's current state of digitization, think again. Our brains have already been impacted gravely with the advent of the World Wide Web. Who knows how much will remain of our self awareness once we start delegating all our thinking to artificial intelligence.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6Bkr_udado
Human nature has imbedded in us an incessant desire to simplify tasks. We seek the path of least resistance and won't hesitate to have machines do our thinking, but where do we stop? Will grave repercussions ensue once we create conscious machines capable of learning at rates unbeknownst to man? Only time will tell.
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